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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · pop · fine · rash · ball · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ball — a great time
  6. key — in music
  7. drill — army training
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rash — a series
  10. fine — all right
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pop — to visit
  13. drill — the tool
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com